1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for operating and maintaining a private mobile communication service system using an Internet Protocol network and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for operating and maintaining a private mobile communication service system using an Internet Protocol network, which is capable of processing operation/maintenance information between the wireless system manager of the private mobile communication service system and the base station controller main processor of a private base station transceiver subsystem in the private mobile communication service system using a local area network.
2. Related Art
Generally, a private wired communication service for voice within a local area is provided through a private branch exchange (PBX) or key phone system, and a communication service for data within a local area is provided through a local area network (LAN) switch and a router using a server.
Further, generally, a mobile communication service can be provided anywhere beyond a limited area, such as a local area. However, such a mobile communication service is provided using a mobile communication service system, and is not constructed to allow a wireless communication to be performed without charge within a specific area.
That is, in order for a terminal of a wired PBX and a mobile terminal of a subscriber to the mobile communication service to communicate with each other, a corresponding terminal is connected to a public network through the exchange thereof, and a call from the terminal is linked to the other.
In this case, the public network includes a mobile communication network and a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Therefore, there is an inconvenience in that, even though a wired communication service subscriber and a mobile communication service subscriber communicate with each other by phone within the same building, a fee is charged for the call.
Therefore, there has been developed a private mobile communication service system which enables telephonic communication without charge when a wired communication service subscriber and a mobile communication service subscriber make a call within the same building (in this case, a mobile communication service system is referred to as a “public mobile communication service system” so as to be differentiated from a private mobile communication service system).
The developed private mobile communication service system enables a mobile communication service subscriber registered with the private mobile communication service to be provided with call service between the subscriber and another subscriber registered with the private mobile communication service, or with a subscriber of an extension telephone connected to a PBX, without charge within an area in which the private mobile communication service is provided.
To provide both the public and private mobile communication services, a service system includes a public/private common cell area, which is a common service area shared between public and private communication services, and a public/private communication service apparatus.
In order to differentiate base station transceiver subsystems (BTSs) belonging to a public mobile communication service system, (as an example) from a private BTS belonging to the public/private common cell area, the private BTS is referred to as a “pBTS.”
The pBTS functions to establish a radio communication channel with a mobile station (MS) belonging to the public/private common cell area, and manage radio resources. Further, the pBTS is connected (for example) to a base station controller (BSC) of the public mobile communication service system through the public/private communication service apparatus.
The public/private communication service apparatus is connected to the BSC of the public mobile communication service system, a public switched telephone network/integrated services digital network (PSTN/ISDN), and an internet protocol (IP) network. The public/private communication service apparatus provides a mobile communication service so that public and private mobile communication services are selectively provided to mobile stations in the public/private common cell area, for example.
If the mobile station is registered with the public/private communication service apparatus so as to be capable of being provided with the private mobile communication service, the mobile station can be provided with the private mobile communication service as well as the public mobile communication service.
However, if the mobile station is not registered with the public/private communication service apparatus so as to be provided with the private mobile communication service, the mobile station can only be provided with the public mobile communication service. Further, the public/private communication service apparatus also provides a wired communication service in conjunction with the PSTN/ISDN and the IP network.
The public mobile communication service system is configured so that a BTS and a BSC are separately located and transmit and receive necessary signals to and from each other, whereas the private mobile communication service system is configured so that pBTS and pBSC are located at the same place side by side.
Further, a maintenance and administration personal computer (MAP), used when an operator operates and maintains a pBSC, is connected to the pBSC or pBTS through a LAN so that the operator can easily be made aware of the status of the pBSC and pBTS, thus being capable of easily operating and maintaining the private mobile communication service system.
Moreover, a call manager that controls the radio calls of the private mobile communication service system is connected to the pBSC and the pBTS through the LAN, and functions to operate and manage the radio resources of the pBSC and pBTS.
The call manager is provided with a wireless system manager (WSM) that performs an operation/maintenance function for the pBSC, such as loading, configuration management, statistics measurement, status monitoring, failure control and system tests. The WSM exchanges operation/maintenance information with the pBSC through an optical cable.
That is, by providing the call manager and the pBSC with respective optical transceivers, and connecting the optical transceivers with an optical cable, the pBSC and the WSM of the call manager can exchange operation/maintenance information with each other.
Meanwhile, the pBSC employs a BSC asymmetric transfer mode (ATM) switch network (BAN), which is an ATM switch having a capacity of 2.5 Gbps, to transmit the operation/maintenance information to the WSM of the call manager. The pBSC converts the operation/maintenance information transmitted from the BSC main processor (BMP) of the pBSC into ATM data through the BAN, and transmits the ATM data to the WSM of the call manager through the optical transceivers and the optical cable.
The BAN includes an ATM cell mux/demux board assembly (ACMA) board for multiplexing/demultiplexing ATM cells, an ATM switch fabric board assembly (ASFA) board for providing communication paths between the BMP and other processors, an ATM E1/T1 interface board assembly (AETA) board connected to the pBTS through an E1/T1 link to exchange ATM cells with the pBTS, and an ATM STM-1 interface board assembly (AS1A) board matched to one port of the ASFA board in a ratio of 1:1 to transmit and receive data to and from the WSM of the call manager through low voltage differential signaling (LVDS).
The pBSC transmits the data operation/maintenance information, which is received from the BSM, to the WSM of the call manager through the ACMA board, the ASFA board and the AS1A board through the optical cable.
As described above, the physical connection between the WSM and BMP is accomplished based upon ATM. The BMP of the pBSC is connected to an ATM interface card and the optical cable through the ASFA board and the AI1A board of the BAN positioned in the WSM. However, it can be appreciated that traffic exchanged between the BMP and the WSM is data related to operation/maintenance, and is not time-dependent traffic that requires a guarantee of quality of service (QoS).
Accordingly, it is not necessary for the WSM and the BMP to perform ATM communication based on an expensive ATM network to handle such network traffic.
The following patents are considered to be generally pertinent to the present invention, but are burdened by the disadvantages set forth above:
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